Daily life in Poznań
Banks
Bookshops
Cafeterias and restaurants
Cinemas
Clubs and Pubs
Driving
Emergency numbers
Gardens
Money
Museums
Newspapers
Pharmacies
Post offices
Public Holidays
Shopping
Sports in Poznań
Taxi Service
Telephones
Theatres
Tourist Information
Transportation
Weather
There are many banks in Poznań. Banks are open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and on Saturday 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. In all Poznań’s main streets you can also find cash machines recognising a variety of credit card networks including VISA, EUROCARD, MASTERCARD. To open a bank account in Poznań you only need your passport.
Cafeterias and restaurants
In Poznań, there is a variety of restaurants - some serve traditional Polish cuisine but you will also find popular fast food places like McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, KFC, etc.
The most popular among students are:
"Sphinx" (ul. Gwarna) - oriental meals, large area.
"Piccolo" (ul. Ratajczaka 37) - Spaghetteria
"Ptasie Radio" (ul. Kościuszki 74) – a nice restaurant located near the University, with student friendly prices
"Elite" (ul. Strzelecka 2) – offers cakes, pastries and coffee.
A meal in a good restaurant may cost about 40 zł. Tipping in restaurants is customary. There are no fixed rules, but a 5% to 10% tip is usually expected. Recommended restaurants with Polish food:
“Ratuszowa” , “Kresowa” and „Pod Koziołkiem” at the Old Market Square (traditional Polish food)
"Wielkopolska Zagroda", ul. Fredry 12 (local food)
"Pod Pretekstem", ul. Św. Marcin 80/82 (entrance from ul. Kościuszki or al. Niepodległości),
Italian food - “Figaro”, ul. Ogrodowa 17
“The Mexican” ul. Kramarska 19
TOP
Bookshops (Księgarnia)
Poznań is a city where you will see bookshop on almost every main street. The larger Poznań bookshops sell foreign language books. There are also many bookshops selling only foreign special books and literature. Examples:
- “Akapit” ul. Dąbrowskiego 64,
- “American English Society Ltd. Księgarnia”, ul Grunwaldzka 11.
- „EMPIK” large bookstores with sections of foreign books and good choice of international magazines, music and films; there are 3 stores in Poznań:
- EMPIK Megastore Poznań, ul. Ratajczaka 44
- EMPIK Poznan Plaza, ul. Kaspra Drużbickiego 2
- EMPIK King Cross, ul. Bukowska 156
- “Nowela” Taczaka 12,
- “Omnibus” Św. Marcin 39, a language bookshop with a large section of books in English (in the basement); they order foreign books on request
- “Polanglo” ul. Kościuszki 71/73
Cinemas (Kino)
In Poznań there are many cinemas. Students generally have discount tickets. You will find a cinema program and also other programs of all cultural events in the daily newspapers. The tickets cost from 12 to 23 zł. The films are usually not dubbed and run in the original language with Polish subtitles. The best cinemas are:
- Cinema City and Imax (Poznań Plaza)
- Kinepolis (ul. B. Krzywoustego 72)
- Multikino (ul. Królowej Jadwigi 51)
- Multikino Stary Browar (ul. Półwiejska)
- Wilda (ul. Wierzbięcice 36)
- Muza (ul. Św. Marcin 30)
- Malta (ul. Filipińska 5) – a small cinema with a special atmosphere
TOP
Clubs and Pubs
Some interesting addresses:
"Bluberry Bar" (ul. Św. Marcin 40)
"Blue Note Jazz Club" (CK Zamek, ul Kościuszki)
"Cuba Libre" (ul. Wrocławska 21)
"Czarna Owca" (ul. Jaskółcza 13)
"Czekolada" (ul. Wrocławska 18)
"Czytelnia" (ul. Św. Marcin 69)
"The Dubliner" (al. Niepodległości 19)
"Post Dali" (ul.Św. Marcin 40, 10th and 11th floor of Alfa building)
"Proletariat" (ul. Wrocławska 9)
"SQ" (ul. Półwiejska 42, Stary Browar)
"TUBA Club" (ul. Małe Garbary 6)
"W Starym Kinie" (ul. Nowowiejskiego 8)
TOP
Driving
Driver's licenses issued by other EU member states are recognized by Poland and remain valid until the expiry date indicated in the document. While driving in Poland you are obliged to have with you a driver's license, a civil liability insurance and the vehicle registration certificate. Using a mobile phone while driving is banned, though a loud-speaking phone system is permitted. Seat belts must be used in both front and back seats. The children up to the age of 12 and up to 150 cm tall have to use special certified seats.
Speed limits:
town - 50 km/h
open road - 90 km/h
highway - 110 km/h
motorway - 130 km/h
with trailer - 70 km/h (on highways - 80 km/h)
Drivers have to use day lights at all times. Front fog lights may be used only during fog or heavy rain. Rear fog lights may be used only when visibility is under 50 meters. The vehicle has to be marked with a sign indicating the country of its registration and should be equipped with a reflector triangle. Radar-warning systems are banned. Driving after drinking alcohol is strictly forbidden.
TOP
Emergency numbers
Medical emergency - 999
Police - 997
Fire department - 998
Emergency number for mobile phones - 112
Gardens (Ogród)
Poznań is known to be one of the greenest cities in Poland. There is an abundance of gardens, parks or woods that occupy 30 % of its area. Close to the city there are the forests of Wielkopolska National Park and Zielonka Forest. Several of some 40 parks merit particular attention:
- The Botanical Garden (ul. Dąbrowskiego 165) which is open from spring to autumn;
- The New ZOO – Zoological Garden (ul. Krańcowa 53), was built in 1974, is Poland’s biggest zoo, and situated in the park in an area of 114 hectares with 2.000 animals representing 150 species. There is a scenic route getting there by a narrow -gauge railway called “Maltanka”;
- The Old ZOO - Zoological Garden (ul. Zwierzyniecka 19), was built in 1874;
- The Sołacz Park – a very pleasant park with two ponds; it’s located in the calm Sołacz district between Litewska and Małopolska streets;
- The Citadel – large, green area not far from the student halls of residence of the PUE; it is located between the streets Szelągowska, Winogrady and Armii "Poznań";
- Palm House (Palmiarnia) Wilson Park (ul. Głogowska) is one of the largest of its kind in Europe and is the only one in Poland. There are over 17.000 species of plants. It has also accommodated exhibitions of paintings, sculptures and graphic art.
TOP
Money
The currency unit in Poland is the złoty, it is abbreviated as zł or PLN. The Złoty is divided into smaller units called groszy, abbreviated as gr (1zł = 100 gr). The banknotes are: 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200. Coins are: 1, 2, 5zł and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 gr.
One can exchange money in banks or exchange offices called “kantor”. Traveller’s checks and Eurocheques are other options. Traveller’s checks can be exchanged at the banks or major post office (where you can get up to 500 zł at once). You can also pay by credit card in many shops and restaurants.
TOP
There are many museums in Poznan and a lot of them are located in the area of the Old Town. Usually they offer free entry for permanent exhibitions on Saturdays. Most museums are closed on Mondays. Here are the addresses of some of the museums:
National Museum Gallery of Art and Sculpture
Al. Marcinkowskiego 9
Museum of the History of the City of Poznań
Stary Rynek 1
Museum of Archaeology
ul. Wodna 27
Museum of Applied Arts
Góra Przemysława 1
Museum of Musical Instruments
Stary Rynek 45
Museum of Etnography, branch of Poznań National Museum
ul. Grobla 25
Museum of Pharmacy
Al. Marcinkowskiego 11
Motoring Museum
Under Kaponiera Roundabout
Poznań Bambers' Museum
ul. Mostowa 7
Muzeum Komunikacji (Museum of Transport)
ul. Głogowska 131/133
Wielkopolska Military Museum
Stary Rynek 9
Museum of Arms
Al. Armii Poznań/ The Poznań Citadel
Tank Artillery Museum
ul. Wojska Polskiego 84
Museum of the Wielkopolska Uprising of 1918-1919
Odwach, Stary Rynek 3
TOP
Newspapers (Gazety)
You will find a wide choice of foreign newspapers and magazines in “Empik” at (ul. Ratajczaka 44.
TOP
Pharmacy (Apteka)
If you don’t need a doctor, but simply medication, you should find an “Apteka”. In Poland you can also find a number of pharmacies, which supply homeopathic and other appropriate medicines. Some medicies you can get only with a prescription. Opening hours: weekly 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. (or 8 p.m.), on Saturdays – depending. Here are the pharmacies open 24 hours:
"Apteka Centralna" ul. 23 lutego 19
Apteka "Magiczna" , ul. Piątkowska 87A
Apteka "Magiczna" , ul. Głogowska 118/124
Apteka "Galenica" ul. Strzelecka 2/6
Apteka "Panaceum" os. Przyjaźni 141 (open 22.00-8.00)
TOP
Post offices (Poczta)
If you want to send a postcard, letter or package home, you must find a “Poczta”. The stamps for postcards and letters cost about 2 zł depending on the destination. Unfortunately, you can buy a stamp only at the post office, not in a kiosk. Usual opening hours are weekly: 8 a.m. (or earlier) - 7 or 8 p.m..
A post office nearest to the University:
ul. Kościuszki 77, Mon – Fri 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. on Sat. 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
A post office open 24h:
ul. Głogowska 17 (near the railway station “Dworzec Zachodni”)
TOP
Public Holidays (Święta)
Polish national holidays may differ slightly from what you are used to. On these days most commercial businesses are closed, no newspapers are printed and public transport has different schedules.
New Year’s Day - January 1st
Easter - variable
Labour Day - May 1st
Constitution Day - May 3rd
Corpus Christi - variable
Assumption Day - August 15th
All Saints Day - November 1st
Independence Day - November 11th
Christmas Day - December 25th
Boxing Day - December 26th
TOP
Shopping
There are a number of large shopping centres in Poznan:
"Poznan Plaza" - ul. Kaspra Drużbickiego 1
"Galeria Pestka" – corner of Al. Solidarności and ul. Księcia Mieszka 1
"Old Brewery" - corner of ul. Półwiejska and ul. Kościuszki
"M1" – ul. Szwajcarska 14
"King Cross Marcelin" – ul. Bukowska 156
"Kupiec Poznański" - pl. Wiosny Ludów 2
"Tesco" – has several supermarkets in Poznań, some are open 24h/7
Galeria Pestka, Poznan Plaza and Tesco are easily accessible by fast tram (12, 14, 15 and 16) respectively 1, 2 and 4 stops away from the student halls of residence of the PUE.
You will find many small and medium size shops in any part of Poznan, but the city centre offers the widest choice. The most renowned shopping district is the area around Półwiejska street.
Opening hours of shops:
- Grocery shopping – from 6 a.m. to 6 or 8 p.m., on Saturdays to 2 p.m.; in the city there are also some shops open 24 hours.
- Non-food stores open around 10 a.m. and close about 6 p.m., in the centre of the city they open one-hour longer; on Saturdays to 2 p.m. (shops are closed on Sunday). Shops located in the large shopping centres are usually also opened longer hours and also on weekends.
- Supermarkets – are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (plus/minus one hour) on weekdays and less on Saturdays and Sundays.
TOP
Sports in Poznań
In Poznań, there are many interesting facilities for sports and recreation. We offer you some examples of popular recreational facilities.
Lake Malta Centre
A place which you have to visit! It is situated in the eastern part of Poznań, constitutes one of the most attractive sports and recreational areas in the city. Such events as: rowing, canoeing and motorboat races, as well as swimming, triathlon and long-distance swimming competitions can be held there.
There is a walk around the lake which can also be used for cycling or roller-skating. Next to the lake there is a wood park with The New ZOO.
The Malta Ski Centre is situated also in this area. It is open all year round. It comprises two slopes: 150 and 30 meters long. You can hire the skiing gear on the spot. There is also a sledge track, a bike hire, miniature golf course, restaurants and cafeterias.
Swimming pools
There are several indoor swimming pools and 3 outdoor in Poznań.
The most popular are:
“Poznań Centre of Sports and Recreation”, ul. Chwiałkowskiego 34,
“Posnania - Gem Set Mecz” ul. Słowiańska 78
“Atlantis”, Os. S. Batorego 101
“Olimpia”, ul. Reymonta 1
Tennis Courts: there are at least 8 tennis courts in Poznan, for example:
“Top Tennis Club”, ul. Bukowska 53 A,
“Olimpia”, ul. Warmińska 1,
There are also other recreational places like: fitness clubs, aerobic clubs, bowling alleys, etc.
„Centrum Rekreacji NIKU”, ul. Piątkowska 200
Skating Rink “Bogdanka”, ul. Księcia Józefa/Północna 9
TOP
Taxi Service
There are a number of taxi agencies operating in Poznań. Currently, taximeters usually begin charging at 5 zł and charge according to kilometres travelled and time spent travelling. At present, each kilometre costs roughly – 2-3 zł. Taxi drivers will charge higher tariffs after 10 p.m. and at weekends.
It is better to use radio taxi agencies, here are numbers to some of them: 8216-216, 8222-333, 8515-515, 8515-515, 9191, 96 26.
TOP
Telephones
The card phones can be bought in a kiosk or at the post office in several options, starting from 15 units (1 unit = 3 min in local zone). You can also get special cards for inexpensive international calls (“telepin”, “telegrosik”, etc.) which give you up to 20 minute call to European countries for 10 PLN.
In Poland there are four cell phone operators Era, Orange, Plus and Play. You can use your cell phone in Poland in two ways – you can use your home number through roaming or you can get SIM card with a local number of one of the prepaid cards networks – Simplus, Orange, Tak Tak, Play or Heyah. There is no need to subscribe to use these networks.
TOP
Theatres
Poznań is one of Poland’s finest theatre centres. The city is home to 7 state or city theatres and numerous small stages subsidised by the city, foundations or universities. Every year at the end of June, Poznań experiences an explosion of theatre. The Malta International Festival attracts thousands of spectators, including many tourists. Over the course of a few days, open-air performances are held at venues all around the city: in the Old Market Square, in Poznań’s squares, streets but primarily by the beautiful Lake Malta. If you study at The Poznań University of Economics in spring semester - you must see it!
TOP
Tourist Information
There are tourists information points at the Poznan airport (Ławica) and the main train station (Poznan Główny). There are also other information points:
City Information Centre (CIM) ul. Ratajczaka 44
CIM also sells tickets for forthcoming events, museums, theatres and cinemas
Tourist Information Centre, Old Market Square/Stary Rynek 59/60
TOP
Transportation
Car traffic in downtown Poznań is heavy and there is a lack of parking within the University area, so the easiest way to get to the university is by using public transport. It consists of tram and bus lines. There are also special lines which run at night. In Poznań, one 15 min ride will cost you 2 PLN but half if you are a student. It is worthwhile to buy a monthly ticket for reduced fees on trams and buses. There is a double fare on express buses. You can easily recognise the fast bus by a large capital letter (not number). The monthly pass costs 40 PLN (for students). Three month and six month tickets are also available.
TOP
Weather
Extreme weather conditions are rare in Poznań. The average day-time temperatures in winter range between 0°C and -10°C whereas the average day-time temperatures in summer may range between +14°C and +32°C.
TOP